Doll knee mechanism



R. GARDEL ETAL DOLL KNEE MECHANISM May 7, 1957 2,791,063

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1955 INVENTORS Y ATTORNEYS May'7, 1957 R. GARDEL EI'AL 2,791,063

oou. KNEE MECHANISM Filed March 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTCRS W @MM BY Arthur Rosovin ATTOR EYS United States Patent '0 DOLL KNEE MECHANISM Robert Gardel, New York, and Arthur Rogovin, Far Rockaway, N. Y

Application March 4, 1955, Serial No. 492,085

6 Claims. (Cl. 46-173) This invention relates to a knee mechanism for dolls, and particularly to an articulation which permits the leg to be moved between standing and kneeling positions.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which is capable of holding the leg firmly in standing position so that the doll can stand alone.

Another object is to provide a mechanism which permits bending of the knee joint through an angle of at least 100".

A further object is to provide such a mechanism which, after its parts have been assembled, is completely concealed at all times and cannot accidentally be dis-assembled.

Another object is to provide certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, whereby the above named and other objects may effectively be attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a side view of the doll leg in standing position;

Fig. 2 represents a side view of the doll leg in sitting position (equivalent to kneeling so far as the knee articulation is concerned);

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the knee mechanism, the upper leg part being broken away;

Fig. 4 represents a detail front elevation of the knee mechanism, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 5 represents a detail horizontal section on the line V-V of Fig. 4, looking down;

Fig. 6 represents a detail horizontal section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 4, looking down, and

Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the spring yoke piece.

Referring to the drawings, the doll leg is shown as comprising an upper (thigh) portion 1 and a lower portion 2, of which the foot is an integral part. Each of said portions is made up of front and back molded plastic shells cemented together along the suture lines 1', 2' respectively. The lower portion 2 is provided, near its upper end, with an axle 3 conveniently made from a fiat strip of metal which is set into the walls of the leg portion so that it will not rotate and which has T-shaped ends 4 protruding slightly from both sides of the leg and disposed horizontally (Fig. 3). The upper end of the portion 2 comprises the generally hemispherical front inner knee surface 5 formed around the axle 3 as an axis and the backknee surface 6 also formed around the axle 3 as an axis, but with a much shorter radius. Each of the surfaces 5 and 6 preferably extends through a maximum arc of more than 90. A short distance above each end of the axle 3 the sides of the surface 5 are provided with short V-shaped grooves 7.

The upper portion 1 is open at its lower end to receive the top of the portion 2 and has a front outer knee surface 8, the lower edge of which is shaped to fit closely against the surface 5 when the parts are assembled. The

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rear lower edge 9 is shaped to match the curvature (in the plane of axle 3) of the surface 6. A short distance above the lower end of the portion 1, its inner surface is provided with integrally formed recessed stops 10 to receive and hold accurately in position the spring yoke 11. Near the upper end of the portion 1 there is mounted a metal rod 12 which serves as an anchor to which can be attached suitable means (not shown) for securing the leg to the doll body and to which is also attached the yoke 11, to be described.

The spring yoke 11 (Fig. 7) is easily formed by stamping from a strip of steel, followed by bending to the desired shape. Near each end of the yoke there are formed key-hole shaped openings 13 having a round part and a straight part 13 extending upward at an angle from the round part. Approximately in the middle of each side of the yoke the metal is cut and shaped to form spring fingers 14 each having an inwardly extending ridge 14', of a size and shape to fit firmly in the grooves 7. The middle of the yoke may be arched and flanged as shown at 15 for increased strength and to form a convenient point for attachment of a heavy rubber band 16, or the like, the other end of which is secured to the rod 12 (Fig. 3).

In order to assemble the parts described above, the spring yoke 11 is tipped (about 60 to the right from the position shown in Fig. 7) so that the openings 13, 13' will extend in the same direction as the T-shaped ends 4 of the axle 3, said ends being then passed through said openings. The yoke is returned to its vertical position and pulled up so as to place the stem of each T-shaped end in the round part of each opening, thus locking the yoke to the axle 3 because the cross-bars of the ends 4 are longer than the diameter of said round parts. When the yoke is in its vertical position, the spring fingers 14 are in firm engagement with the grooves 7. Assuming that the rubber band 16 has previously been looped onto the yoke around its middle part 15, a conventional assembling hook (not shown) is passed through the leg portion 1 from its upper end and is used to draw the band 16 past the stops 10 and up to a position where it can be hooked onto the rod 12. At the same time, the upper end of the leg portion 2 is maneuvered into the open lower end of the portion 1, with the yoke 11 stopped and held in proper position by the stops 10 against which it is drawn by the band 16, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, it will be evident that the leg portions are held in their straight, standing position very firmly by the engagement of the strong spring fingers 14, 14 with the grooves 7. Upon forcible bending of the knee joint, the ridges 14 climb out of the grooves 7 and the lower leg can be bent back through an angle of at least as shown in Fig. 2 and in broken lines in Fig. 3. At all times the front inner knee surface 5 lies close to the lower edge of the outer knee surface 8 so as to form practically a continuation thereof and the back knee surface 6 also lies close to the edge 9. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower part of the leg portion 1 completely covers theknee mechanism in all positions. The rubber band 16 serves only to hold the mechanism in place, firmly enough so that it cannot easily be removed; unlike the resilient or elastic devices such as bands or springs used in other knee mechanisms, this band takes no active part in the operation of the mechanism here shown. Because of the relative positions of the axle ends 4 and the parts 13' of the openings 13, it will be apparent that the axle can not be detached from the yoke so long as the upper and lower leg portions 1, 2 are in engagement; these parts can be separated only by pulling said portions out of engagement and swinging the portion 2 forward about 60 to bring the ends 4 in line with the openings 13'.

A somewhat simpler alternative connection of the yoke to the leg portion can be effected by using, instead of the axle 3 with ends 4, separate round-headed rivets, screws or nails (which may be self-tapping) applied through round holes in the yoke and set or driven into the opposite sides of the leg portion.

It will he understood that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

l. A doll knee mechanism comprising an upper leg portion, a lower leg portion shaped to fit partly within said upper leg portion, a yoke embracing and pivotally secured to the lower leg portion and adapted to engage said portion firmly and releasably in at least one relatively adjusted position, a fixed abutment in the upper leg portion and means for holding said yoke firmly against said abutment.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the lower leg portion has an individual axle fixed transversely near its upper end and in which the yoke is pivotally secured to the ends of said axle.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2 in which the top of the lower leg portion comprises an approximately hemispherical knee surface having said axle as its axis and a back knee surface having the same axis but a smaller radius.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3 in which the bottom of the upper leg portion comprises front and back edges shaped to fit closely with said surfaces, respectively.

5. In a doll knee mechanism for the articulation of upper and lower leg portions, a spring yoke of metal comprising, means for pivotally connecting said yoke to a lower leg portion, integrally formed spring fingers spaced from said pivotal connecting means and adapted to engage releasably the same leg portion and means for holding said yoke substantially fixedly in an upper leg portion.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5 in which the means for connecting the yoke to a lower leg portion includes unsymmetrically shaped openings in the yoke and in which the lower leg portion is provided with an axle the ends of which are arranged for engagement with, and disengagement from, said openings only when the yoke and leg portion are turned to an abnormal relative pivotal position with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,121 Steiner Mar. 11, 1902 982,096 Schoenhut Jan. 17, 1911 2,687,594 Cleaver Aug. 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,039 France Jan. 24, 1882 

